Sultan has opened to numbers which are beyond expectations. While it was on the cards that the film would go past the opening day of Dhoom 3 [Rs. 36.22 crore], a tough battle was on the cards when it came to taking on Salman Khan's own Prem Ratan Dhan Payo [Rs. 40.35 crore]. After all, that film had released on the festive occasion of Diwali. Moreover, with Eid falling to today [Thursday], there was a dip in collections expected yesterday [Wednesday - the release day]. This further made the journey of Sultan tough when it came to taking on the biggest opening day ever, Happy New Year [Rs. 44.97 crore - Hindi version].
As has happened though, the film has now gone past Dhoom 3 quite comfortably. While the numbers are still pouring in, there are good enough indications that Prem Ratan Dhan Payo has been surpassed and Happy New Year is being challenged as well. The film has been doing bumper business all over, right from the morning shows, and it is after ages that a film has opened so well across board. In fact Salman Khan's competition is only with himself here as the last film to do that was Prem Ratan Dhan Payo and that too was more than six months ago.
This is how the biggies currently stand:
Happy New Year - Rs. 44.97 crore
Sultan - Rs. 36.54 crore* (this may go to the top or the third spot basis final numbers)
Prem Ratan Dhan Payo - Rs. 40.35 crore
Dhoom 3 - Rs. 36.22 crore
Chennai Express - Rs. 33.12 crore
Ek Tha Tiger - Rs. 32.93 crore
Meanwhile, Salman Khan is busy accumulating records big time. When compared to his own biggies, this is how his Sultan stands:
Sultan - Rs. 36.54 crore* (this may go to the second spot basis final numbers)
Prem Ratan Dhan Payo - Rs. 40.35 crore
Ek Tha Tiger - Rs. 32.93 crore
Bajrangi Bhaijaan - Rs. 27.25 crore
Kick - Rs. 26.40 crore
Dabangg 2 - Rs. 21.10 crore
Anushka Sharma too is in a great position to be in. The film is now her biggest opener ever, hence going way past P.K. [Rs. 26.63 crore]. She is a much more integral part of the drama here and in a performance oriented role, she has again shown her true class. She deserves much more credit for her consistently good performances.
For director Ali Abbas Zafar, who has come up with his best directorial effort till date (going beyond Mere Brother Ki Dulhan and Gunday), it is time to rise up the ladder in the big league.
Yash Raj Films clearly have a big ticket film up their sleeves and now it is a matter of how much further does the film go in rest of the weekend, which has four big days remaining.
